▲ 오전 안동시 풍천면 경북도청 4층 화백당에서 열린 ‘국민의힘-대구경북 민생 예산정책협의회    ©

【브레이크뉴스 대구】이성현 기자=대구·경북 지역 현안 예산 확보를 논의하기 위해 열린 ‘예산정책협의회’가 실효성 논란에 휩싸였다.

국민의힘이 3일 경북 안동에서 개최한 협의회는 지역 민생 예산 논의를 위한 자리로 마련됐지만, 회의 진행 방식과 참석 인사, 발언 내용 등을 놓고 “정책 협의회라기보다 정치 이벤트에 가깝다”는 지적이 현장에서 나왔다.

이날 오전 안동시 풍천면 경북도청 4층 화백당에서 열린 ‘국민의힘-대구경북 민생 예산정책협의회’에는 장동혁 당 대표를 비롯해 송언석 원내대표, 김도읍 정책위의장, 이철우 경북도지사, 김정기 대구시장 권한대행 등이 참석했다.

▲     ©이성현 기자

언론에 공개된 시간은 약 40분. 그마저도 참석자들의 인사말까지만 공개된 뒤 회의는 비공개로 전환됐다.

현장에 있던 한 참석자는 “2시간 회의 중 인사만 40분 들은 게 다였다”며 “예산 논의는커녕 실질적인 협의는 보이지 않았다”고 말했다. 일부 공무원과 취재진 사이에서는 “이 시기에 왜 또 하느냐”는 볼멘소리도 나왔다.

이번 협의회 일정은 경주에서 열린 APEC 개막 직전 확정됐다. 경북도 공무원들 사이에서는 “행정감사와 국제행사를 동시에 치르느라 한계 상황인데, 협의회까지 겹쳤다”는 불만이 이어졌다.

경북도청의 한 관계자는 “APEC 준비에 수개월을 쏟은 상황에서 중앙당의 협의회 자료 요구까지 이어져 업무 부담이 컸다”며 “정작 협의 결과가 남는지도 의문”이라고 했다.

지방선거를 불과 7개월 앞둔 시점에서 열린 점도 논란이다. 일부 도청 직원들은 “정책협의라기보다 정치 일정에 맞춘 회의처럼 보였다”고 말했다.

실제로 현장에서는 “오늘 논의가 내년 예산 반영에 어떤 실질적 의미가 있느냐”는 내부 반응이 적지 않았다고 한다.

현장을 취재한 한 언론 관계자는 “예산정책협의회라는 이름 아래, 정치적 메시지가 더 많았다”고 전했다.

▲     ©이성현 기자

이날 협의회에는 당 대표인 장동혁 의원이 직접 참석했다. 통상 예산정책협의회에는 정책위의장이나 원내대표가 참석하는 것이 일반적이어서, 일각에서는 “특정 인물의 정치적 행보를 염두에 둔 행사 아니냐”는 해석이 나왔다.

한 참석자는 “장 대표가 최근 TK 지역을 잇달아 방문하고 있다”며 “정책 논의보다는 개인 행보에 무게가 실린 것 같다”고 말했다.

회의 도중 “대구·경북이 대한민국의 중심으로 다시 서야 한다”는 등 정치적 발언이 잇따르자, 한 공무원은 “예산 협의회 자리에서 나올 말은 아니었다”고 했다.

이날 논의된 주요 현안은 ▲대구경북신공항 국가주도 건설 ▲영일만항 확장 ▲AI·이차전지 등 미래전략산업 육성 등으로 알려졌다.

그러나 각 사업별 예산 요청 내역이나 향후 추진 일정 등 구체적 결과물은 공개되지 않았다. 경북도의 한 간부는 “회의가 끝났지만 구체적인 협의 결과는 공유되지 않았다”며 “예산 증액이나 사업 조정이 실제로 이루어질지는 미지수”라고 말했다.

또 다른 공무원은 “정치인은 메시지를 남기고, 우리는 결재만 남았다”며 “실무자 입장에서는 실익이 없는 회의였다”고 전했다.

국민의힘은 정치 행사라는 지적을 부인했다. 당 관계자는 “정치 일정과는 무관하게 내년도 국비 확보를 위한 총력 의지를 다진 자리”라며 “장 대표 개인 행보와는 관련 없다”고 밝혔다.

장 대표 역시 “중앙당과 지역이 함께 가야 예산이 열린다”며 “모든 현안사업이 결실을 볼 수 있도록 챙기겠다”고 말했다.

정가에서는 이번 협의회가 명분에 비해 실효성이 떨어졌다는 평가가 우세하다. 한 정치학 교수는 “예산정책협의회는 본래 중앙당과 지방정부가 협업해 실질적인 예산 반영 성과를 내는 구조여야 한다”며 “이벤트성 행사가 반복되면 정치적 피로감만 커지고 행정 신뢰도 떨어질 수 있다”고 지적했다.

지난 9월에도 국민의힘은 국회에서 예산정책협의회를 개최한 바 있다. 불과 한 달여 만에 다시 열린 이번 회의가 ‘예산 확보’라는 명분보다 ‘정치 일정’에 초점이 맞춰졌다는 비판은 쉽게 가라앉지 않고 있다.

<구글 번역으로 번역한 영문 기사의 전문 입니다. 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 밝힙니다.>

 "Budget Consultation or Political Show?"

Questions Raised at the November 3rd People Power Party-Gyeongsangbuk-do Budget Policy Council Meeting

At a meeting designed to discuss securing a budget for pending issues in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do, public officials and the media on the ground were quick to question, "Why are we holding another budget policy council meeting at this time?"

On the morning of November 3rd, the "People Power Party-Daegu-Gyeongsangbuk-do Regional Budget Policy Council Meeting" held at the Hwabaekdang Hall on the 4th floor of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Office in Pungcheon-myeon, Andong-si, only sparked controversy over its timing, effectiveness, and the level of commentary. Given its purpose as a meeting to discuss local livelihoods and the budget needed for regional projects in 2026, the fact that even the media, who should have been observing the situation on the ground, were excluded and the meeting was held in a closed-door format further raised questions.

The media release time that day was approximately 40 minutes. Even this was limited to the opening remarks from party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, floor leader Song Eon-seok, policy committee chair Kim Do-eup, Lee In-seon, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk provincial party committee chair Koo Ja-geun, North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, and acting Daegu Mayor Kim Jeong-gi, who unexpectedly appeared at the budget policy council meeting. Discontented expressions and dialectal speech erupted from various quarters. People complained about how rarely a scheduled two-hour meeting could last 40 minutes, with only 40 minutes dedicated to greetings.

"Is this a council meeting or a preview?"... Criticism emanated from the very timing.

The council meeting was confirmed just as the Gyeongju APEC conference was about to open. At the time, some North Gyeongsang Province officials were aghast, asking, "Are they crazy?" While it was a national event, it's no exaggeration to say that the Gyeongju APEC conference was handled entirely by the responsible local government, Gyeongju City, and the metropolitan city of North Gyeongsang Province, from start to finish. They were so focused on preparations amidst the chaos of national affairs that they couldn't even use their summer vacations. Consequently, North Gyeongsang Province officials were exhausted.

Although the APEC meeting has concluded, the cleanup remains the responsibility of Gyeongju City and North Gyeongsang Province. Under these circumstances, the People Power Party reportedly unilaterally requested data from already busy public servants, under the guise of a budget policy council for the people's livelihood. This explains why public servants are criticizing the council's uselessness.

Notably, the date of this council meeting was approximately seven months before the local elections. Current provincial and city officials responded, "It felt more like a political agenda than a policy consultation." Indeed, many internally questioned, "What practical relevance do the discussions today have for the next year's budget?" Some media outlets covering the meeting also commented, "Under the banner of a budget policy council meeting, there were more political messages than actual business discussions."

The remarks made on the scene that day also sparked controversy. Many on the scene expressed skepticism about Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk's attendance at the council meeting. Typically, party leaders do not attend most council meetings. However, this policy council meeting was different. There are many suspicious comments suggesting that the event was deliberately orchestrated to benefit a specific individual.

Even on the day, there were those on site who said, "Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk is personally visiting various sites. He's engaging in personal politics."

Even during the Budget Policy Council meeting, there were eyewitness accounts of chants like, "Daegu and Gyeongbuk must once again become the center of the Republic of Korea." While this was a common refrain among conservative politicians when they visit TK, many admitted that it wasn't something that should be said at a Budget Policy Council meeting.

"I don't know why they're doing it."

Multiple public officials present that day questioned, "I don't know what projects will change or what budget increases will be made after a meeting like this." A media representative stated, "On the surface, it's supposed to be a discussion of regional issues, but in reality, it seemed like an internal messaging event." He then raised questions about the effectiveness of the council, saying, "The government is said to be making a budget announcement tomorrow, but it would be much easier for Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu to get things done if a single Ministry of Strategy and Finance director were present rather than the current National Assembly members." The atmosphere revealed that day raised questions about the gap between the council's identity (budget discussions vs. political messages) and its effectiveness (concrete plans vs. slogans).

A party official explained, "This was a meeting to reaffirm our commitment to securing national funding for next year, regardless of our political schedule." Responding to accusations that it was a personal political move by Representative Jang, the official retorted, "It shouldn't be viewed solely that way."

Representative Jang Dong-hyuk also emphasized, "The budget will only be secured if the central party and local governments work together," adding, "I will ensure that all pending projects bear fruit."

Effectiveness is the Key... "Follow-up Implementation" is Crucial

The key issues discussed at this meeting included the state-led construction of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport, the expansion of Yeongil Bay Port, and the development of future strategic industries such as AI and secondary batteries. However, it remains unclear whether the budget requests for each project and the implementation roadmap were properly disclosed following the "discussion." Furthermore, the outcome of the meeting has not been confirmed. Some are questioning whether the meeting simply ended with the "convening of a meeting."

Last September, the People Power Party held a Budget Policy Council meeting at the National Assembly. While this does not mean that another meeting is unnecessary, the political community's assessment of the decision to hold another meeting just over a month later, amidst the hectic schedule of administrative audits and the conclusion of the APEC summit, is that "the Budget Policy Council should be structured to produce tangible results through collaboration between the party and local governments. If such meetings are repetitively held as mere events, trust in both administration and politics will be lost."

The November 3rd meeting is widely considered to have been ineffective compared to its stated purpose. Contrary to the ruling and opposition parties' slogan of "substantial discussions to secure a budget," the meeting was seen as more focused on political symbolism and individual actions. A North Gyeongsang Province official present lamented, "The politicians left a message, and we're left with only the approval process."